Tractor.



Patented. Feb. 27, 1917.

5 SHEETs-sHEEr 1,

l. W. FREEMAN.

TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4. T915.

Patented Feb. 27,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1|l L, I

w. l ngk Rf),

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1915.

lv* I W. FREEMAN.

TRACTOR.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. W` FREEMAN.

TRACTOR. y

y APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1915. 121,9. Patented Een. 2, w17.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

power for the same is JOSEPH w. FREEMAN, or COLUMBUS', om

macros..

To 'aZZ ivhom 'it may concern.'

v ,y Be it known that I, JosnrHlW. FREEMA, a citizen of the United.States, -residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ofOhio, hav'einvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tractors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to used in connection with various farmimplements in tilling the soil andI the motive desirably furnished by aninternal combustion engine.

The main object of my invention resides inthe provision of such astructure wherein a chain bed 'framework is provided to be used inconnection with the chassis of an automobile, the latter being providedwith the internal combustion engine usually used in furnishing-thismotive power. In other words, I aim to partially Further novel featuresof my invention re-- side in the arrangement for' utilizing the rearaxle of the automobile after its wheels have lbeen removed for formingthe source of power for driving the vehicle as a whole; means wherebythe control structure such as the steering mechanism and throttle may begoverned from the rear of the vehicle as a whole, in order to enable oneoperator to manipulate the farm implement as well as the engine.

Further objects and novel features of my invention will appear after afurther detailed description of the accompanying sheets of drawings,wherein similar characters of reference designate correspondingparts,'an'd wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of myinvention shown as being used in connection with a plow,

a Fig. 2 is a top plan'view of the structure Specicetion'of LettersPatent.

tractors to be l ner in which dismantle an automobile by taking off thewheels and prefer- These spindles comprise .ED STATES PATENToFFioE.

o, AssreNon 'or Marr-NINE ONE-Hurr- Patented renie?, 1917.

Application led November 4., 1915. Serial No. 59,671.

shown m moved,

Fig.

Fig. 1 with the automobile rethe automobile applied,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of the supporting wheels, Fig. 6 is adetail view showing the-manthe rear axle of the `automobile isattachedto the bed framework,

a is a side elevation 'of a slightly" modified embodiment of myinvention with shown in Fig. 3 l vand w1th the. automobile removed,

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the mechanism utilized f or maintainingvtaut, and, Fig. 8 is a detail view in perspecthe driving chain tiveshowing the manner in which the farm implement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 isattached to the tractor.

In these several forming the bed of views the framework the tractor as awhole,

comprises a pair of bars 1 securely united at their forward ends asshown .at 2 and bent to angular form at their rear ends as shown at 3.Toward the rear of the machine there are provided a plurality of crosspieces or stiffeners 45'and 6 whose ends project laterallybeyond theangular portions 3' of the bars `1 to some considerable extent. Theframeworky or bed is also reinforced by a plurality of forwardlyextending brace pieces 7 attached to the top and lower sides of themembers 1 respectively and diverging to be attached to the upstandingspindles 8 forming the means of supporting the front wheels in themanner shown in Fig. 5, shank portions 9 whose lower ends are providedwith forked and to be pivotally means of the stud axles 12. To furtherreinforce these spindles, I h ave provided an vupstanding brace piece 13preferably formed of angle iron and extending vertically from the forkedextensions 10 to the upper ends of each of the'spindles as is alsoshownv in Fig. 5. To these spindles there Ais then attached clampmembers. entirety by tthe reference numera these 4clamp members arespaced on these spindles by means of the pipe spacers shown at 15. It isa function of these clamp devices to also form the means of attachmentwith the front axle 16 of the l 14 and designated in their l heldproperly y automobile, a portion of which is shown in Fig. and thespring usually carried by this axle beingshown at 17 in this samefigure. Thus, by means of the clamp devices 14 and the pipe spacers 15,the front axle of the automobile after the wheels have been removed, maybe very readily attached, it being understood that the clamp devices 14suitably embrace the knuckle portions 18 of the front axle to engage thesame and then in turn held in position by tightening of the nuts 19.Each of these spindles is also provided with a collar designated 20,which collar is rigidly attached to each of the spindles by means of theset screw shown at 21 or any other suitable means 'and which is providedwith a rearwardly extending arm 22 to serve the function of a steering`arm. These arms are then in turn connected with the steering mechanismdesignated 23 which is Vnormally under the control of the steering post24 as is customary in all automobiles. As will be understood, the engineof the automobile is confined beneath the hood shown at 25 and thechassis 26 extends rearwardly to be attached to the bed frameworkthrough the medium of the automobile rear4 axle 27. A connector piece27a, shown inl Figs. 2 and 4, is attached 7'directly between 'theangular extensions 3 of the frame bars 2 and upon thisconnector thererests a pair of supporting blocks 28 upon which the inclosing 'casing 29of the rear axle is adapted to rest. This axle is then in turn securelymounted in connectiofi with the bed frameworkby means ofthe clevisstructure 30 shown'ln Fig. 6,v the threaded ends of this clevis passingthrough an aperture in the tie plate 31 and the latter being forced intoengagement with the connector 27by means of the nuts shown at 32.TneFig. 6, the differential casing is shown at 33 andl ower is appliedto the rear axle through this differential by means of the power shaft34 which extends to and is connected with the engine beneath thehood 25.4

In order that the operator may have control of the power while seated-atthe rear of the machine, this seat being designated by the referencenumeral 35, the steering post 24 is provided with a universal joint 36and the hand wheel 37 mounted upon a reach rod 38. Similarly, thethrottle is extended rearwardly through means of the reach rod 39, eachof these being telescopic as is indicated at 40 because the variousimplements with which the tractor may be used, may extend rearwardly toa greater extent and it may then be found desirable to employ the seaton the implement such as is shown at 41 in Fig. 1, this seat being theseat normally mounted in connection with plows of the type shown. Theserods are rotatably supported within boards or the like 42 carried byarched support pieces 43 one of the latter being attached directly tothe chassis, while the other is attached to the bed framework.

In order to use `the power ofthe automobile engine, I have provided eachend of the rear axle with .aV-sprocket wheel shown at 44 over whichachain 45 passes. These chains in turn pass over sprocket wheels 47mounted upon a counter shaft 48. This counter shaft is supported inbearings 49 securely fastened to strap members 50, which strap membersare shown as being secured at the rear ends to the cross piece 4 andthen bent downwardly a slight distance as is shown in Fig. 1 and then upto be attached to the cross piece 5. From this point they are again bentdownward to a distance approximately half way between the bed frameworkand the ground line as is shown at 51, whereupon they can pass upwardand are attached to the cross piece 6. The counter shafts,.48 are alsoprovided with a pair of sprockets 52 over which chains 53 pass. Tn Fig.1, these chains 53 are 'shown as passing over sprocket wheels 54attached to the wheels 55 forming a portion of the plow and from this,it will be apparent that the plow wheels form the driving wheels of thetractor as a whole. In Fig. 3 these chains are shown as passing oversprockets 56 which are the same sprockets designated 54 in Fig. 1, butthey are shown as being attached to supplemental wheels 57 journaled inbearings 58 securely held in position in the downwardly extendingportion 51 of the strap members 50. This latter arrangement is desirablewhen the tractor is to be used in pulling a disk harrow, for instance,as is shown in this figure, or when the supporting wheels of the farmimplement do not possessl sulicient strength to sustain the rear portionllO pins are inserted to pass through the eyes of `the bolt 63 and inthis manner the chains 53 are maintained taut.

Tn Fig. 1, ythe manner of attaching the plow is as follows: Theseplowsare usually provided with an embracing member 66 extending betweenopposite wheels and also extending up to a point approximately levelwith the seat 41. This embracing rod is also provided with a channelsti'ener as is shown at 67 in Fig. 8 .and by means of this channelsti'ener, the plow structure as a h the meidum of whole, is attachedthrou olts shown at .68,

the lU-shaped embracing the ends of their threaded legs projecting ibars 1 to thereby hold the entire structure in rigid engagement with thefront axle 16 of the motor vehicle. To hold this plow in irmerengagement with the remaining structure, I have also provided a pair ofside braces 72 which extend from the axle supporting wheels up to thecounter shaft 48 asis shown in Figs. 1 and 2. l

As a means of supportin the harrow, as shown in Fig. 3, the tongue 3 isextended to a'position directly beneath the cross piece 6 in whichposition it is pivotally attached asv is shown at 7 4, so that it mayhave apivotal movement to enable the tractor as a whole,

to turn a corner whenever this movement is desired.

From apparent that structure wherein an utilized as the power unitsimply removing body. In this manner a pleasure car may be put to thefurther use of also serving as a means of forming a tractor and in viewof the peculiar arrangement of the rear end of the machine, farmimplements of various kinds may be attached.

What I claim, is:

1. A tractor comprising a supportingbed, a pair of front wheelspivotally carried by the front portion of said bed, means whereby a farmimplement may be attached to the the foregoing description, itwill be Ihave provided a .type of automobile may be of a tractor, by

rear portion of said bed, a wheelless automobile suitably supported uponsaid bed, and means for taking power from said automobile to propel thetractor as a` whole.

2. 'A tractor comprising a supporting bed,

a pair of front wheels pivotally carried by the front portion of saidbed, means whereby a farm implement may be attached to the rear portionof said bed, a wheelless automobile including the power unit andsteering gear suitably supported upon said bed, means for operativelymobile steering gear with said front wheels, and means for taking powerfrom the automobile power unit to propel the tractor as a whole.

3. A tractor comprising a supporting bed,

the four wheels and its shaft.

connecting the autoa pair of front wheels, a pair of upstanding spindlescarrying4 lower forked extensions for pivotal connection with saidwheels, means whereby 'a farm implement may be attached to the rearportion of said bed, a-

tached to the rear portlon of said bed, a-

wheelless automobile suitably supported upon said bed, means forattaching the front axle of said automobile to 'said spindles, means fortaking power from said automobile to propel the tractor as a whole,means for connecting the steering mechanism of said automobile with saidlfront wheels, a steering extension from said mechanism to the rear ofthe tractor, and a throttlc control extension leading to the rear of thetractor.

5. A tractor comprising a supporting bed, a pair of front wheelspivotally carried by the front portion of said bed, a wheellessautomobile including a Vrear axle suitably supported upon said bed, asprocket on each end of said axle, a countershaft structure carried bysaid bed, sprockets on said countershaft, driving chains between saidsets of sprockets, means whereby a farm implement may be attached to therear portion of said bed, and means for driving the tractor as a wholeby power taken from said counter- 6. A tractor comprising a supportingbed,

` a pair of front wheels, a ,pair of upstanding spindles carrying lowerforked extensions for pivotal connection with said wheels, brace rodsfrom said spindles to said bed, a

wheelless automobile. including front and` rear axles suitably supportedupon said bed,

means for attaching said front axle to said spindles, may be. attachedto the rear portion of said means whereby afarm implement y bed, asprocket on each end of said rear axle,

a countershaft tructure carried by said bed,

sprockets on i said countershaft, driving chains between said set ofsprockets, and

means for 4driving the tractor as a whole by power taken from saidcountershaft.

In testimony whereofl I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH W. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. S. Boex, A. CUTHBERTSON.

